1 Corinthians 9New King James Version
A Pattern of Self-Denial
9 Am(A)I not an apostle? Am I not free?(B)Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?(C)Are you not my work in the Lord?2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are(D)the[a]seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this:4 (E)Do we have no[b]right to eat and drink?5 Do we have no right to take along[c]a believing wife, asdoalso the other apostles,(F)the brothers of the Lord, and(G)Cephas?6 Oris itonly Barnabas and I(H)whohave no right to refrain from working?7 Who ever(I)goes to war at his own expense? Who(J)plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who(K)tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
8 Do I say these things as amereman? Or does not the law say the same also?9 For it is written in the law of Moses,(L)“You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.”Is it oxen God is concerned about?10 Or does He sayitaltogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt,thisis written, that(M)he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.11 (N)If we have sown spiritual things for you,is ita great thing if we reap your material things?12 If others are partakers ofthisright over you,arewe not even more?
(O)Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things(P)lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.13 (Q)Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eatof the thingsof the(R)temple, and those who serve at the altar partake ofthe offerings ofthe altar?14 Even so(S)the Lord has commanded(T)that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
15 But(U)I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for(V)itwould bebetter for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void.16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for(W)necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!17 For if I do this willingly,(X)I have a reward; but if against my will,(Y)I have been entrusted with a stewardship.18 What is my reward then? That(Z)when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel[d]of Christ without charge, that I(AA)may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
Serving All Men
19 For though I am(AB)free from allmen,(AC)I have made myself a servant to all,(AD)that I might win the more;20 and(AE)to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to thosewho areunder the law, as under the[e]law, that I might win thosewho areunder the law;21 (AF)to(AG)thosewho arewithout law, as without law(AH)(not being without[f]law toward God, but under[g]law toward Christ), that I might win thosewho arewithout law;22 (AI)to the weak I became[h]as weak, that I might win the weak.(AJ)I have become all things to allmen,(AK)that I might by all means save some.23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it withyou.
Striving for a Crown
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?(AL)Run in such a way that you may[i]obtainit.25 And everyone who competesfor the prize[j]is temperate in all things. Now theydo itto obtain a perishable crown, but wefor(AM)an imperishablecrown.26 Therefore I run thus:(AN)not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not asone whobeats the air.27 (AO)But I discipline my body and(AP)bringitinto subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become(AQ)disqualified.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 9:2certification
- 1 Corinthians 9:4authority
- 1 Corinthians 9:5Lit.a sister,a wife
- 1 Corinthians 9:18NU omitsof Christ
- 1 Corinthians 9:20NU addsthough not being myself under the law
- 1 Corinthians 9:21NUGod’s law
- 1 Corinthians 9:21NUChrist’s law
- 1 Corinthians 9:22NU omitsas
- 1 Corinthians 9:24win
- 1 Corinthians 9:25exercises self-control
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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